There’s nothing like a little Mexican food when you’re just absolutely over Christmas & Christmas leftovers & New Year’s and New Year’s leftovers. And then there were the leftovers from the leftovers. So changing it up seemed like the thing to do, so we had to make enchiladas; our hearts were set on it. And we had to make them with Enchilada Sauce from the pantry!
Home-made Enchilada Sauce, quick & from the pantry.
The “we” in this case, is my daughter and myself. See, I was visiting for the holidays. If there is one thing Jess and I share, it’s our love of Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, so we’re always in the mood for a little Mexican food at my house (or my daughter’s!) And enchiladas, with this easy pantry sauce, was just the thing. It was like a bit of festive during this latest cold snap! And you might say we were in the middle of a leftovers snap, too.
About Enchilada Sauce (from the pantry):
Why a pantry sauce? We had everything to make Enchiladas but the sauce. We didn’t even have any dried chiles to make the sauce. And we didn’t want to go out – the logistics of bundling up all those kids – my daughter has five, so far, including the baby was too much to even think about. And going out in the cccccoooold? Yah, it just wasn’t in us. How cold did it get where you are, by the way?
What we did have was everything for this quick Tex-Mex type enchilada sauce right in my daughter’s pantry. So we rocked this Enchilada sauce. It’s delish and the sauce only took a few short minutes to whip together. Just so I’m not giving any false expectations, there are quite a few ingredients, but there’s probably nothing that you probably don’t have just lying around.
I would be hard pressed if I didn’t already know that this sauce was made on the fly with just pantry items to guess that was the case. It has a fresh, Tex-Mex taste. It’s smooth and silky and there is a depth of flavor to it that’s out of this world.
My darling little helpers!! They’re never still enough to get a good pic, lol! And never quiet, either…
Making Enchilada Sauce (from the pantry):
This sauce takes about 10 minutes to toss together. The main flavor comes from a pretty basic, grocery store Chili Powder. You see, my daughter, Jess, would NOT let me add a little of the habanero powder I came across in her pantry.
Moms of littles have their own family standards, lol. In this case, habanero may just very well have been overboard. You can make this same sauce from any Chili Powder or a combination of individual chilis if you’d like. As it was, it was perfect for the family, from young to old.
Read the recipe through first. Once you begin to heat the chili powder in the hot oil, you’ll need to move fast, so have the rest of the ingredients at the ready. It could be easy to burn the chili powder which can go from a pleasant toasted flavor to something obnoxious in mere seconds.
If you need to substitute or make do:
- Tomato Sauce: If you don’t have tomato sauce, whiz diced or whole tomatoes in the blender with a little of the juice to the consistency of tomato sauce.
- Chili Powder: This recipe uses a commericial chili powder but you can toast your own chilis in a hot pan, grind them and use them instead. You might want to adjust the salt and spices a bit.
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: If you’d like, rather than using the garlic and onion powder, start the recipe with 1/2 cup finely chopped onion and two cloves garlic.
Home-made Enchilada Sauce, quick & from the pantry.
Making the Enchiladas:
I raided the fridge and made a quick filling for some Enchiladas: 3 chicken breasts that I poached till done (if you did have a little leftover turkey in the freezer, it would work great – just sayin’!) a little cream cheese & some grated cheddar, some green onion and about 1/2 pack of taco seasoning I dug out of the pantry. (Only 1/2, because, yet again, of the littles.) We shredded the chicken and mixed everything up.
We preheated the oven to 350 degrees F., rolled that filling in tortillas, tossed a little of the Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan, layed in the enchiladas, topped with more sauce and more cheese, and baked for about 25 minutes. Easy peasy! This sauce will compliment just about any kind of enchiladas, though, so don’t feel the need to stick with chicken or turkey.
Storing the Sauce:
The enchilada sauce can be stored in the fridge for several days. It will thicken a bit, so feel free to add a little water or stock to bring it back to the desired consistency.
This can also keep in the freezer for a short amount of time, no longer than several weeks is best, simply because it does contain flour as a partial thickener; items containing flour can taste stale over time. Upon reheating, if the sauce is too thick, add just a touch of water or stock.
Saving Money on Enchilada Sauce (from the pantry):
- Making your own Chili Powder is an easy endeavor and will always save a bit as opposed to buying. Making your own also allows you to customize your Chili Powder. Here’s my favorite recipe.
- This is a fabulous recipe for any leftover chicken or turkey. Make sure to buy either at a low. For turkey, that would be prior to Thanksgiving or Christmas, and for Chicken, watch it to drop to a low about once a quarter. Take advantage of the lows to stock up.
- Grocery Store Cheese is a great item to pick up at rock-bottom prices and keep on hand. It keeps for weeks, unopened, and can be frozen. After freezing, it will be a little crumbly but still great for casseroles and toppings like used here.
- Buy basic pantry items like tomato sauce on sale. Just like chicken, most pantry items will drop to an all time low about once a quarter. Know what’s a good price and a great price and be ready to buy when an item is at a great price. Get in the habit of picking up enough of whatever product to last until the next big sale. That way you’ll never end up being stuck paying full price.
Home-made Enchilada Sauce, quick & from the pantry.
Enchilada Sauce (from the pantry)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 cup broth (any will work)
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 – 2 teaspoons white or cider vinegar
Instructions
In a small bowl, measure out the cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, and sugar. Set aside. Have broth and tomato sauce ready to use.
Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and chili powder and whisk for a minute or so – watch the color and pay attention to the smell. As soon as the sauce starts to darken, add in the stock, whisking, then the tomato sauce.
Whisk in the remaining spices. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and simmer for two to three minutes until slightly thickened. It should still be pourable, about the consistency of heavy cream. (See notes.)
Remove from heat and add vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings, sugar, and vinegar to your liking.
Notes:
- This sauce will thicken a bit as it cools, and thicken more if it’s stored in the fridge. Just add more broth or water to thin a bit if needed after storing.)
- This is a great recipe to double. Add half (when cooled) to a Ziploc bag, label, and freeze for later.
Keywords: Chicken, Chicken Breast, Cream Cheese, enchilada sauce, enchiladas, Green Onion, leftover Chicken, leftover turkey, Mexican or Southwestern, Sauce, Tomato sauce, tortillas, Vinegar
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I’m cohosting this week at Fiesta Friday #205, along with Petra @ Food Eat Love. Stop by and see all the links! And try to figure out which we’ll pick to be featured! I’ll be bringing this recipe.
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